FEDERAL CHARACTER/QUOTA SYSTEM
AND PRODUCTIVITY OF NIGERIA PUBLIC SERVICE: A STUDY OF NATIONAL PLANNING
COMMISSION, 2004 – 2014
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Plural and sharply divided societies all over the world attempt
to manage their diversities and divisive tendencies through one or combination
of policy alternatives in the organization and management of their public
services for performance; and Nigeria is not an exception (Bodunrin, 1989;
Ayoade, 2000; Abdullah, 2007). Often times, these policy alternatives turn out
to be delicate arrangements; but when carefully conceived, crafted and
practiced, it provides opportunity for centre-seeking and centre-fleeing forces
to interact peacefully and co-habit on agreed terms which has been proved to
have enhanced productivity. One of such policy alternatives adopted for the
management of the public service in Nigeria for even representation is the
federal character principle, which was borne out of the need to ensure even
spread of government appointments in all the regions, states and local
government councils in the country (Nzeshi, 2012).
Nigeria is a federal society comprising 36 states structure
with a population of more than 150 million people and has more than 250 ethnic
groups, which necessitate an arrangement that could accommodate people from the
different segments of the country in the public service (Gberevbie, 2012). The
notion of federal character presupposes the existence of a federal society.
However, as a federal state, Nigeria was faced with the challenge of how to
imbibe the principle of federalism in practice. As a result, the quota system
was introduced into the Nigerian public service in 1958 by the government to
ensure equitable representation of the various groups in the country (Tonwe and
Oghator, 2009). To further consolidate on the gains of the quota system, the
Federal Military Government of Generals Murtala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo
in the drafting and approval of the 1979 constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria during the transition to civilian rule (1976-79) introduced into the
Nigerian political and administrative landscapes the principle of federal
character (Ekeh, 1989). Federal character principle sought to give opportunities
in education and employment, usually at the point of entry, to disadvantaged
groups and areas to enable them compete and catch up with more advanced areas
and sectors of the nation (Ekeh, 1989).
In comparing the practice of quota system with that of the federal
character principle, Ekeh (1989) posits that the latter demands far more than
the former in the sense that it switches emphasis from opportunities to
privileges and benefits. He argues that federal character principle is a legal
weapon put in place to regulate appointments, promotions, security of tenure
and severance in every government department. The reference to the phrase disadvantaged
groups in the area of educational opportunities means that special
consideration should be given to candidates from the Northern provinces and
other areas where educational facilities were more backward than elsewhere
(Gboyega, 1989). The awkward application of the federal character principle
tends to pose challenges to the productivity of the Nigerian public service
through the circumscription of merit. Such practice of the principle of federal
character in personnel procurement without due regard for merit is more likely
to mire efforts at sustainable development in a society.
The formal adoption of the federal system in Nigeria, which
came into existence with the introduction of the Lyttleton constitution of
1954, signaled the need for representative bureaucracy that could address the
problem in the composition of the federal public service anchored on productive
service delivery (Adamolekun, 1989; Ayoade, 2000; Ikelegbe, 2004). Accordingly, Max Weber (1864-1920) showed
the way forward on how to achieve organizational productivity through the
theory of ideal bureaucracy; and it is doubtful if any modern human organization,
whether in public and private sector can function adequately without adhering
to the principle of rationality in employee procurement and rewards as
postulated by Max Weber (Edigin and Otoghile, 1994; Anyebe, 2004).
The main focus of this research project is the
Federal Civil Service. The Civil Service is a body without which the business
of government would be impossible to operate. The role of the civil servant is
so vital that such personnel is expected to be productive, progressive and
enterprising; hence the need to employ well educated, skilled and experienced
people.
But for political reasons, the Federal Civil
Service now combines the administrative ethics of merit and political doctrine
of federal character as a recruitment policy because of the need for a
representative bureaucracy.
The federal character principle was incorporated as
an employment policy having taken into cognizance the impervious and insistence
demand by each ethnic group, no matter how small numerically, or how poor
materially, or how backward educationally for a fair and dignified place in the
Nigeria sum.
For some time now, the Federal Civil Service has
come under criticism because its performance and productivity left much to be
desired. Many attribute its unproductive and inefficiency to the adoption of
the Federal Character Principle which they believe negates the administrative
ethics of merit system –skill, qualification, experience through training which
are the basic criteria for efficiency. However, this study
seek to examine the relationship between federal character/quota system and
productivity of Nigeria public service.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The perennial problem of imbalance in our national
life had revolved around other sectors of the economy, the immediate problem
which prompted the research to investigate on is the issues relating to the
allocation of educationally based positions among the federating units relates
to federal character principle which means that all the geo-political zones
will be given equal chance for the appointment and output-efficiency as it
relates to observation of federal character principle.
In the related development, there have been
discriminatory attitudes on many federal institutions in terms of employment
into the Nigerian civil service as there are a specific numbers of candidates
to be taken from each state. There is also a problem of quota system in the
area of employment into the federal civil service, which has introduced
mediocrity in the service.
Consequently, there has been gross misconduct in
the area of employment due to sectional consciences and nepotism from those in
authority in the Ministries and Parastatals. Federal institutions seem to
recruit on nepotism and favoritism without minding the effect of such practices
to the productivity, efficiency of service delivery and quality of output to
the nation. Even when the federal character principle is observed, the
institution will not consider efficiency of the candidate hence they are
relatives and will not follow the due process thereby cutting corners in the
recruitment exercise. All these problems have been a hydra-headed challenge to
the Federal Character Commission.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
following are the objectives of this study:
1. To
examine the relationship between federal character/quota system and
productivity of Nigeria public service.
2. To
investigate whether certain standard are maintained
in the course of recruitment on quota basis in the country’s civil service.
3. To determine the factors militating against
productivity in the Nigeria public service.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What
is the relationship between federal character/quota system and productivity of
Nigeria public service?
2. Are
there any certain standard
maintained in the course of recruitment on quota basis in the country’s civil
service.
3. What are the factors militating against
productivity in the Nigeria public service?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
HO:
There is no relationship between federal character/quota system and
productivity of Nigeria public service
HA:
There is relationship between federal character/quota system and productivity
of Nigeria public service
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study of implications of application of Federal
Character Principle for efficiency in the civil service is of immense benefit
to different institutions, especially those institutions that needed employment
related data for their routine activities. From such research, Federal Civil
Service Commission can tell if the character principle is observed in every
batch of recruitments conducted by different Federal Agencies and whether such
recruitment is orderly conducted through the help of Federal Commission.
Again, by observing the character principle, the
federal Bureau of Statistics can collate and manage data on
employment-unemployment situation and through that ascertain the living
conditions of different age brackets in liaison with National Population
Commission that would give out the population of such age brackets. All these
groups will benefit from a research of this nature because if well managed,
because the result would have relationship with sustainable development with
the help of efficient manpower development.
1.7 SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The
scope on the study on federal character/quota system and productivity of
Nigeria public service will cover all the issues of employment in the Nigerian
civil service analyzing the methods of selection (i.e. the merit system of the
federal character/quota system) considering the effects of both of them on
productivity in the federal civil service
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Federal Character: The system of distributing positions/resources to reflect
the ethnic, regional or sectional differences in Nigeria, irrespective of
whether the person concerned is the most qualified or not.
Civil Service: Refers to the organization, personnel, practices and procedures
essential to effective performance of the civilian functions entrusted to the
executive branch of government comprising those public servants appointed on
merit on a permanent, contract or temporary basis without any inferences of
political considerations for the purpose of executing public policy. Thus, the
civil service whenever referred to in this work means federal government
employee, organization practices and procedures directly involved in public administration.
Representation/Representative: A condition which exists when the characteristics
and acts of one vested with public functions are accordance with the desires of
one or more persons to whom the functions have objective and subjective
importance. It therefore carries with it authority and legitimacy as such
person performs has duty on behalf of others.
Quota: A quota is inflexible number that be reached within a given period of
time, regardless of the methods used or the availability of candidates. Here,
there is the possibility or every tendency that whoever presents himself will
be accepted to fill the gap: thus, the acceptable standard might be lowered to
achieve this aim. That seems to be the fate of the federal character principle
as it is now being applied especially in the federal civil service, considering
the grave imbalance between the regions or ethnic groups in Nigeria.
National Ideology: A set of concepts, doctrine, beliefs to which the members
of a society are committed and which identified the national character of the
country; ideology therefore functions to influence and justify certain kinds of
behaviours and claims.
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